[Buffetfan]

Hi,

Many a times in the past few months...people buying a Baleno have also considered NHC and Accent CrDi...and the discussion has geenrally hovered around
1. Fuel efficinecy
2. Running costs / Maintenance.

I would like to start this new discussion to get different opinions and experiences on how NHC. Accent Crdi and Baleno compare in long term cost of ownership...and resale...

To jump start the discussion, I am posting one of my earlier responses to a fellow Bhpian



Quote:
Originally Posted by cream
hey trident...welcome to the forum.

and congrats on getting yourself a new set of amazing wheels - as is obvious, the baleno is a well respected car here.

don't forget to post some pics of those alloys and tyres soon...

i wonder though - isn't 40-50kms a day reason enough to buy a diesel car...or maybe your company is paying for the fuel???

Hi,
You can go for indica / Indigo and save money upfront...but thats not the basis for my analysis.

We will take cars of similar size, equipment, and comparable quality / comfort levels here...so only contender is Accent Crdi (which BTW is again 2 cms less wide...and less powerful too...but this is the only comparable model available..so we will go with this one).

You save around Rs 1.4 / km....in a comparable diesel vehicle... (assumptions Baleno 12.4 kmpl => 3.7 Rs/km...Accent Crdi=> 14.5 kmpl :=> 2.3 Rs/km...

all mileage and other figures are from ACI..and mileage is taken as average of city and highway....(City+highway)/2

@40 km per day => save Rs 1.4 *40 = Rs 56 / day and Rs 20440 per annum..

Assume you incur Rs 2 K more per annum in diesel service...and the savings are Rs 18400 per annum....add another Rs 5000 per annum more for insuring the more expensive crdi car.....and the savings are Rs 13400 per annum.

considering the price differential between an Accent Crdi and an Baleno... => Rs 8 lacs (guess) and Baleno (Rs 5.75 lakhs is what trident paid) = Rs 2.25 lakhs....

Assumking you had only Rs 5.75 lakhs with you .....If you took a loan of extra Rs 2.25 lakh @ 9% to buy the Crdi.(remember most of the personal loans are @11% or above...we are being conservative here by assuming 9%)..you will NEVER repay the loan with the savings you incur....and mind you..you may not want to keep the Crdi that long...!!

To put things in perspective, you require savings of Rs 50000 per annum to square off this Rs 2.25 lakh loan in 6 years

Resale is another question altogether....and was not considered in the above analysis...however, in my view... you will not get Rs 2.56 lakh more compared to a Baleno when you sell the Accent Crdi after 4 years. (the 2.25 lakh rs loan will have increased to Rs 2.56 lakh only as the rs 13400 per annum you save is patently insufficient to fulfil the EMI of Rs 2.25 lakh loan)...so you need to get a min of Rs 2.56 lakh more in resale after 4 years compared to the Baleno in the resale...for your purchase to make economic sense in the short term...

So even with resale considered....it tilts the scale towards Baleno....

finally..you may say that you will use your own money and not borrow...I would say that if it does not make sense to buy @ a loan of 9% only ...then....it does not make sense to buy at all since you can also put your own money in investments that earn more than 9% Pa...(most of the mutual funds are giving 20% pa + returns over 5 years) so there is an opportunity cost you wil incur anyway...

If you like performance..while CRDi is good...Baleno is better in a drag and top whack (0-100 11.1 sec versus 13.7 for crdi) (Top speed 185 kmph versus 165 kmph)..

Please also remember that a diesel service is more expensive...so are the parts and the CRDi does make a racket in the morning start....though it smoothens down once warmed up

If you buy the Baleno, you get performance, low capital investments, overall savings over years and a very SILENT drive...as opposed to incessant diesel clatter in Crdi that you will want to avoid if you are the type who sometimes likes to drive with his windows rolled down...

Of course it is a different story altogether if you are doing 120 km per day....then the accent crdi may start making sense....!!!!

[vivek.singh.73]

Very nice writeup to clearly outline the total cost of ownership, I did something similar if not as exaustive as you. However compared Tata Marina in my comparison to Baleno and Adventure sports. Though the Marina's refinement doesn't come close to Baleno or Fiat but its a good utility vehicle with good ride quality.

Don't forget the good price it comes for and that changes the equation a little bit however its not as sleek as either of them in city driving with lack of power below 2k rpm but VFM neverthless.

I would welcome more such TCO comparisons in line with your thought process from fellow BHPians...its the way to go rather then just saying this is hot and that one is psss..

Waiting..

[adya33]

good report Buffetfan
but seems like you have left out NHC for most part

and since you have taken all aspects into consideration you have forgotten safety of the car.
Hyundai Accent has very low safety rating (european) &

Of course it is a different story altogether if you are doing 120 km per day....then the accent crdi may start making sense....!!!!

if you are travelling on highways which means high speed driving, idiot truckwala's more chance of having a big accident
i don't know about Baleno safety but NHC is much safer than both of these cars

[Buffetfan]

Vivek,
with Marina, you will definitely save money...however, the cars are different segments altogether, both in size and refinement...(though Marina has a huge boot)...it is a good vehicle and couple of my friends are also planning to buy it...however...performance is a big factor for me...!!!

[ritik123]

On the issue of safety:

How is the NHC more safe compared to the Baleno?.

Is there any test data available or are we just going by perception and manufacturers claims here?

I think NHC was left out from the comparo as there isnt much to choose between the FE of a Baleno and NHC. And if the 1 lac higher cost of NHC is factored in, @ 40 km / day the NHC will never make sense. And if it is 120 a day then its crdi all together, even the NHC cant beat a diesel in terms of FE.

[v_s_natarajan]

Originally Posted by adya33

but NHC is much safer than both of these cars

I saw a NHC in an accident three weeks before in the East Coast Road near Chennai.
There was a young couple(not more than 21).
You should have looked at the shape of NHC.
it was plastered.
But having said that, we have to understand in an high speed accident no car is safe

[Buffetfan]

Ritik,
you are correct...even if we assume

Baleno @ Rs 3.7 / km
NHC @ Rs 3.2 / KM ( assuming 13.7 kmpl for NHC) ..by ACI (16.6 highway and 10.9 city)

@ 40 km / day :=> Rs 20 / Day and Rs 7300 / year. Additional Rs 2000 for Insurance and Savings :=> Rs 5300 / year

Cost differential as far as I know is Rs 1.3 lakh in hyd (NHC 6.63 lakhs Ex showroom with Rs 20000 accessories and Baleno 5.15 lakh...after all cash discounts..).

you will take a 1.3 lakh Rs loan...for Buying NHC over Baleno...

interest for Rs 1.3 lakh @ 9% is Rs 11700 / annum...Savings are Rs 5400 / annum

you never pay back the loan...so Baleno is cheaper...

Talking of Resale...if you keep paying Rs 5400 / annum towards this 1.3 lakh loan every year...it will grow to Rs 1.59 lakh after 4 years...so you will need to get Rs 1.6 lakh more after 4 years in resale compared to Baleno to just break even with NHC....Possible...Maybe...Maybe not ??

So we have realised that we do not save money net net even if we buy an NHC....

Talking of cars per se.... NHC has marginally more leg space and better interiors..(though NHC interior color too remains a sad grey in the exi model under consideration). On the other hand...it feels like a n oversize Maruti 800 as far as performance and ride comfort go.... I for one..dont like the looks very much too. Maybe it has a better crash test rating??? does anyone know that???
On the other hand, Baleno wins hands down in Performance, Ride Comfort and Handling...
So as far as cars per se go...it is a pretty even contest...some hate the looks of a Baleno...but I love it compared to the NHC...even the short rear deck with a spoiler looks quite racy to me...but then I own one and maybe the bias has set in

[sandeepmdas]

Here cometh trouble (Fiat)...Lol, Please note that I am not a proud owner of any Fiat cars, but it would be interesting when you include the Petra D into the picture....


Ex.showroom:
Baleno - 5.75 lakhs
Accent CRDi - 8 ?
Petra D - 6.10

Kitna Avrg hai?
Baleno - 12.4 kmpl
Accent CRDi - 14.5
Petra D - 16.5 (a dude who owns one told me so)

Cost / km (fuel)
Baleno - Rs. 3.7
Accent CRDi - 2.3
Petra D - 2.02

[shobhit15]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Here cometh trouble (Fiat)...Lol, Please note that I am not a proud owner of any Fiat cars, but it would be interesting when you include the Petra D into the picture....


Ex.showroom:
Baleno - 5.75 lakhs
Accent CRDi - 8 ?
Petra D - 6.10

Kitna Avrg hai?
Baleno - 12.4 kmpl
Accent CRDi - 14.5
Petra D - 16.5 (a dude who owns one told me so)

Cost / km (fuel)
Baleno - Rs. 3.7
Accent CRDi - 2.3
Petra D - 2.02

Sandeep -> You need to specify which city are these prices valid for. I got my Baleno in Delhi for 5.57 on-road price man......

[sandeepmdas]

Oops, forgot to tell you Buffetfan, that was some excellent -and food for thought- analysis...

Originally Posted by shobhit15

Sandeep -> You need to specify which city are these prices valid for. I got my Baleno in Delhi for 5.57 on-road price man......

shobhit, that price was based on Buffetfan's analysis. That was the price Trident paid....

city-specific? is it necessary? If the baleno is cheaper in city X, can't we safely assume that the other cars (Accent, NHC and Petra - provided the latter is available there, of course) are also...?

[Steeroid]

Throw in the Indigo D as well, in that case. Its < 6 lakhs on the roads, returns about 18kmpl of diesel and the new Euro III version is more powerful at 70 bhp. Refinement: > Petra, < Accent. Power: > Petra, < Accent. Space: > Both. Comfort: > Both. Average: > Both.

You do the math...and buy a Bullet 500 with the spare change if you feel adventurous.

[imjimmy]

Petra D - 2.02

Dude plz don't forget the performance of PEtra D it's not in the same range of even the Accent Crdi - forget about the NHC and Baleno.

Baleno wins hands down in Performance, Ride Comfort and Handling...

I have a Baleno so i maybe biased. But surely Buffetfan the Baleno is not better in everything, I guess the NHC is better in Ride Comfort than the Baleno. Interiors and Ride comfort are the only things better in the NHC. But there's a huge performance drop in the NHC. you'll realize on the highways.

I think NHC was left out from the comparo as there isnt much to choose between the FE of a Baleno and NHC

I don't have mileage Data for the Baleno. But according to most mags it's about 1 to 1.5 Km Less FE than the NHC.. However Shobhit's recent highway figures are very interesting. So maybe there is correction needed in the data.

One very pertinent point that all people are ignoring is the EVER DECREASING price differential between Diesal and Petrol. The Diesal is hugely subsidized by the govt. It's not clear how long this state of affairs can continue. It cannot be forever so in a year or 2 u might see only about 40-50% differential in the petrol diesal prices as is now ( which is approx 10-12 Rs)..

Therefore when the APM does get literally dismantled we're gonna see the diesal advantage dimnish more.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

You do the math...and buy a Bullet 500 with the spare change if you feel adventurous.

Whats more adventurous than bringing in a Fiat into a thread?

[adya33]

people the topic title says
Baleno, NHC & Accent CRDi

so lets just stick to it

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Here cometh trouble (Fiat)...Lol, Please note that I am not a proud owner of any Fiat cars, but it would be interesting when you include the Petra D into the picture....


Ex.showroom:
Baleno - 5.75 lakhs
Accent CRDi - 8 ?
Petra D - 6.10

Kitna Avrg hai?
Baleno - 12.4 kmpl
Accent CRDi - 14.5
Petra D - 16.5 (a dude who owns one told me so)

Cost / km (fuel)
Baleno - Rs. 3.7
Accent CRDi - 2.3
Petra D - 2.02

Petra /Indigo are not considered in this discussion
Prime Reason is that Petra /Indigo are not in the same league as far as car size goes..

BTW... Overall average of Petra is (16.3+9.7)/2...= 13 kmpl...and hence Petra D is Rs 2.5 / km....remember we are using ACI figures here...I have a friend who claims 14 kmpl in his Baleno....but we will go with an independent third party figure...